The invention relates generally to a medical device, and more particularly to a medical retrieval device for capturing and/or removing objects from within a body cavity.
Medical retrieval devices or snares are used to remove objects from body lumens by inserting the retrieval device, typically by way of a catheter assembly, into the body lumen to the retrieval site, engaging the object to be retrieved, and removing the object from the body lumen.
Objects which are removed from body lumens include, for example, blood clots, plaque, kidney stones, gall stones, polyps, dysplastic tissue, cancerous lesions and so forth.
Common applications for medical snares include removal of objects from the lower gastrointestinal tract such as the colon and rectum, esophagus, stomach and for mucosal resection generally and polypectomy generally, etc.
One application for which the device is particularly suited is for endoscopic mucosal resection in the lower gastrointestinal tract wherein dysplastic or cancerous lesions are identified, margins are noted and advancing the snare through the body, positioning the snare and the lesion and capturing the lesion within the snare. Other steps may be included in the procedure.
There remains a need in the art for a snare having superior means of gripping and removing objects from a patient's body.